With the new NHL collective bargaining agreement set to take effect at midnight ET on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, teams are running out of runway on one key advantage: the ability to lock up players for eight years. After that, the limit drops to seven on re-signing players, and that shift is already pushing some negotiations toward the finish line.
One of the deals gaining momentum is Cutter Gauthier’s with the Anaheim Ducks. Gauthier, a restricted free agent, has had substantive talks with the club, and the two sides met over the weekend before continuing discussions Monday.
Nothing is complete yet, but both sides want to get it done. The structure changes in the new CBA - especially the limits on front-loading and signing-bonus money - appear to be helping move things along.
The expectation is that Gauthier’s next contract would land at six years if it comes together. As for the money, Connor Bedard’s $15 million per year is the benchmark in the conversation, though a number in the $13 million to $14 million range would not be a surprise.
For Anaheim, getting this over the line would bring some relief after the chaos surrounding the stunning offer sheet that Leo Carlsson signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, which the Ducks matched. There’s been plenty of criticism aimed at general manager Pat Verbeek since then.
At the same time, Verbeek did make offers early last season to both Carlsson and Gauthier. Those talks didn’t end in extensions, but Anaheim did not simply sit out the process.
Matt Keator, Carlsson’s agent, and Kurt Overhardt, who represents Gauthier, were smart to wait.
Another young star still without a deal is Adam Fantilli, and the word Monday was that talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets were “very slow.” Fantilli remains unsigned with camp opening this week, even though the sides have kept talking. There has been effort from both camps all summer, with offers and counter-offers, but the gap is still substantial.
In Ottawa, Drake Batherson is also staring at a big decision. He’s in the final year of his deal with a $4.975 million cap hit and would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The 33-goal scorer is interested in an eight-year contract, but he’d also consider six or seven years depending on the average annual value. The old CBA expires Tuesday night, which matters here, and Batherson also does not want to negotiate once the season starts.
That said, these situations can change quickly, and as of Monday morning, the Senators and Batherson were still far apart.
There’s no movement yet on Alexander Nikishin’s situation in Carolina, either. The 24-year-old defenseman remains unsigned by the Hurricanes, and the trade request he made after the season is still standing.
Detroit’s Simon Edvinsson is in a different kind of holding pattern. Talks are paused until the Red Wings hire a new GM or head of hockey operations, but he was still expected at training camp this week whether he has a contract or not.
Montreal, meanwhile, appears to be moving in the opposite direction with Arber Xhekaj. Negotiations on his RFA deal have progressed, and a contract could be finished as soon as Tuesday.
The Canadiens also got another piece of business done with Martin St. Louis, who is now signed through 2029-30 after receiving his extension.
That trims the list of NHL coaches entering the season on expiring deals to John Hynes of the Minnesota Wild, Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche, Scott Arniel of the Winnipeg Jets, Ryan Warsofsky of the San Jose Sharks and Joel Quenneville of the Ducks. Rick Bowness, after a one-year extension following last season with Columbus, will be up again as well.
There’s also expectation that Minnesota will announce a Hynes extension in the not-too-distant future. Nashville’s Andrew Brunette is in the final year of his current deal, though he does have an option for 2027-28.
And in Colorado, Joe Sakic’s role remains exactly what he said it was. When the Avalanche announced him back in the GM chair after Chris MacFarland’s departure to Nashville, the word “interim” never appeared.
Even so, plenty of people assumed Sakic was just filling time until the organization found a new GM. Sakic told me back in June that wasn’t the case.
He wasn’t putting a timeline on it, but he also wasn’t treating it like a temporary assignment. He was fully committed.
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